This article from John O'Donovan's O.S. letters is divided here into two parts and deals with the seven subdivisions of the old territory of Offaly, which as O'Donovan states included part of the present day Kildare and Laois. The setting up of the new counties only in part respected ancient clan territories.

Of the extent of ancient Offaly

The Territory of Ui Failghe or Ophaley comprised the following Baronies, beyond any shade or doubt:-

1. Geshill in the King's Co.
2. Upper Philipstown in the King's Co.
3. Lower Philipstown, ibid.
4. Warrenstown in the same County.
5. Coolestown in the same.
6. Ophaley or Offaley in the Co. of Kildare.
7. Portnahinch in the Queen's County.
8. Tinahinch in the Queen's County.

This is the true extent and it will be seen that not even the one half of it is comprised in the King's County.

It was the Principality of O'Conor Faly, the senior representative of Rossa Failghe (the son of the Monarch Cahir More) who is said to have made an attempt at murdering St. Patrick because he thought that his object was to establish toleration and democratic principles, but he was very much mistaken.

Of the subdivisions of Ofaley.

Like Leix, the principality of Ofaley was originally subdivided into seven cantreds, which were ruled by seven petty chiefs of the noble blood of Rossa Failghe. These were:-

  1. Tuath Geisille. The name and extent of this Tuath are retained in the present Barony of Geashill. It was the patrimonial inheritance of O'Avergin (Amergin) Anglicised Mergin and Bergin, now the name of a numerous and warlike family (tribe). Bergin, Geshill and the sky over it! (Geshil and Mergin or Bergin are nearly synonymous terms here. How long tradition preserves those recollections of ancient power!). They know right well that they are the only aristocratic blood of the district and one should be very diffident in asking one of them if he ever heard that any of the Amergins are yearly turned into wolves. It is said that Geshill has produced more and better British soldiers than any Barony in Ireland.

    I have no pedigree of this family. Does Mac Firbisse give any account of them among the families of Ui Failghe?

  2. Hy-Regan, now popularly called Dooregan and in Irish Duthaidh Ui Riagain. This territory was erected into the Barony of Tinahinch and lies in the Queen's County, as can be demonstrated from the old Map of Leax and Ophaly, from the tradition in the country, and from the Liber Regalis Visitationis of 1615, which states:-

    "Dua! sunt Rectoriae in patria vocata O'Dun's Country detente in possessione Doctoris Dun. Ipse recipit decimas, sed nullus comparuit curatus as respondendu pro servicio Ecclesiae. Ideo fructus sequestrantur.

    These two Rectories are set down in the margin as "O'Regan et Rosnolis." This is conclusive.

    General Dun of Brittas at the foot of Slieve Bloom is the present heir of Taoisiuch na Toghla. His property, like those of most Irish chieftains, is much incumbered.

    Joseph Dun of Killowen near the Great Heath of Maryborough is the next to him in point of seniority and respectability. He was an Officer in the French service and a man of chieftain size, being 6 feet 6 inches in height and 19 stone 9 lb. in weight. His House of Killowen, which has been in the possession of the family since Temp. Eliz., is marked on the Down Survey.

    Sliocht Ui Dhuinn o dhutha Ui Riagain are exceedingly numerous in every part of this country. ...

  3. Clann-Maoilughra, Anglice Clanmaliere and corruptly Glanmaliry. This territory certainly comprised the present Barony of Upper Philipstown in the King's County and the Barony of Fortnahinch in the Queen's Co. It contained the Castles of Leighe, Morette, Shane, Clonygowan and Ballykene and was divided nearly into two equal parts by the River Barrow. This was the Country of O'Dempsey, a name which would sound in the English, O'Proud (O! superbia). But their pride and glory are now eclipsed, there being not one independent or scarcely respectable man of the name on either side of the Barrow. And Cahir-na-gCapull seems to be (have been) the last respectable man of the name in Clanmaliere. Vae victis.

    O'Dempsey was Viscount Clanmaliere during the War of 1641 but he lost all in the struggle and left his race a helpless people, unworthy of their name - Supervi progenies. ...

    There was another family in Clonmaliere, of the name Mac Conduiligh, which is now probably the name Anglicised Connelly.

    About the year 1164 Dermot O'Dempsey became chief of all Offaley and erected the Abbey of Monaster-Evin in that part of Offaly now lying in the County of Kildare. No other of the name ever became Prince of Offaley, but shortly after O'Conor Faly's downfall. O'Dempsey was created Viscount Clanmaliere, through what interest I know not, but it would appear that O'Dempsey assisted the Cosbys and other ferocious families to murder the Irish at Mullamast, and this is perhaps sufficient to account for his exaltation. But a reaction is sure to follow such massacres.

    See Extracts from the Annals under the heads Ui Failghe and Clann Maoilughra.

  4. Clar Colgain, alias Clann Colgain. From many evidences now before me I have inferred that Clann Colgain is the present Barony of Lower Philipstown. First from O'Heerin's poem, which states that the chief of Clar Colgan bordered on the Grass of Cruachan, Do dhluthaigh le ceibh Chruachain. The other evidences shall appear presently under Tuathmuighe. ...

  5. Tuath-Maighe, called in English Tuomuy and Tethmoy. We have many clues to the situation and extent of this ancient territory. Ware writes that Sir John de Birmingham, Earl of Louth, founded in the year 1325 a Monastery for Conventual Franciscans at (in) Totmoy or Thetmoy in Offaly, and that it was called from his own name, in the Irish tongue, Monasterfeoris or the Monastery of Mac Feoris. This is the present Monasteroris near Edenderry

    And it shews Tuomuy as extending from the River Mongagh, which divides it from the County of Westmeath to the boundary of Clanmaliere in the one direction and from Edenderry to Philipstown in the other direction. From these evidences it can be safely inferred that Tuath-Muighe Nether and Upper were formed into the Baronies of Coolestown and Warrenstown.

    This being established, it will be seen at once that the Triocha Ched of Clancolgan, "which lay at the Hill of Cruachan" could be no other than the Barony of Lower Philipstown, for you cannot place it in Gesill, which was itself a distinct Triocha Ched, nor in North Clanmaliere, which was another, nor in Tuathmuighe which was another.

    Then by double false! position, where can we place this Candred of Centivilliarium?

    No room remains for it but the Barony of Lower Philipstown, which will perfectly agree with its position at the Hill of Cruachan.

    The Territory of Tuathmuighe was anciently the patrimonial inheritance of the O'Mulkenes, now Keane, but I have no pedigree nor record of them but O'Heerin's poem, q. vide supra.

  6. The sixth cantred in ancient Ofalia was Magh Aoife, the ancient inheritance of O'Murraghan (O'Murchain) now Anglicised into Murray. This is shewn on the old Map of Leax and Ophaly as Foranomurghan (Fearann Ui Murchain) i.e., O'Murchan's land and extending from near Monaster-Evin to near Rathangan and the Townland of Sheane, but this cannot be anything like its original extent as we learn from O'Huidhrin that O'Murchan's was an important and beautiful country. It is highly probable that before the Geraldines encroached on Ofalia that O'Murchan's Territory of Magh Aoifeextended eastwards to the foot of the Hill of Allen and so as to embrace the northern half of the Barony of Ophaley in the County of Kildare, in which the famous wood of Fiodh Gaibhle seems to have been situated.

  7. The last of the seven Territories of Ofalia mentioned by O'Heerin is Tuath-Leighe, the Paradise of O'Kelly. Where is this lovely land? I have no clue to it but one name which is not, perhaps, a bad guide to the discovery of at least its whereabouts, and one passage in Mageoghegan's Annals of Clonmacnoise. This is Caislean Leighe i.e., the Castle of Leighe, now Lea Castle mentioned by the Four Masters at the year 1452. This was certainly in O'Kelly's Country and it will appear from it that a considerable part of the Country of Leighe fell into the hands of the O'Dempseys of Clanmaliere, in whose country Lea Castle is placed on the old Map of Leax and Ophaly.

It would also appear that O'Kelly's beautiful Territory of Leighe was divided between the Geraldines and O'Dempseys after the O'Kellys were put down. The following passage in the Annals of Clonmacnoise as translated by Connell Mageoghegan will give some idea of the period at which the O'Kellys had possession of this territory:-

A.D. 1389. Morishe the Bald O'Connor of Offalie was killed with an arrow by one of the O'Kellys of Ley in Clanmaliere.

I have no pedigree of the O'Kelly of Leighe: does Mac Firbisse or the writers of the Books of Lecan or Ballymote mention him? Does he descend from Rossa Failghe?